All babies in the U.S. have a newborn blood screen. Newborn screens are
run by each state. All states test for sickle cell, metabolic, endocrine
disorders and nearly all screen for cystic fibrosis (CF). Other states
may choose to test for more disease processes in the newborn blood
screens. Early diagnosis allows parents ...

I have the privilege of visiting assisted living facilities (ALFs) on a regular basis to speak with the residents on topics of interest to them. Recently, I have been addressing residents on the importance of getting the flu shot each year.
I am a bit dismayed to know that many elders who reside in ALFs flatly refuse vaccination. ...

It is extremely important to get back to basics in whatever
we do. This simple edict is so often ignored because- well, because it is so
basic. We tend to go for the complicated and glitzy. I thought about this
truism when the CDC issued its new
more rigorous guidelines this past Monday.
There is nothing really complicated about the ...

We employed a temp doctor who loved terrible breakfasts. During rounds we would stop by the dictation room to update her on cultures and other issues, and she listened while inhaling a fast food breakfast sausage muffin egg and cheese thing wrapped in a baby space blanket. I can smell it as I write about it.
Lab techs aren’t any better, ...

The recent tragedy in Connecticut has spurred debate on topics related to public safety, which is good. Our most vulnerable citizens need protection. This includes children, the elderly and infirm, and patients in hospitals.
That list includes healthcare workers, too. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ...

When nurses switch to 12-hour shifts, I wonder if back injury claims increase. Nurses and nurse assistants literally do the heavy lifting in hospitals, and patients aren’t getting smaller. Forcing fifty- and sixty-something people with a lifetime of cumulative spinal stress to lift an extra four hours a day seems foolhardy.
The question was ...

I just saw the blockbuster movie Contagion and must say I was pretty impressed. When I watch a medical-themed movie, I always look at it with a critical eye. How factual is it? Is it authentic in terms of scenarios, equipment, procedures and vocabulary?I look for how realistically roles are portrayed. For example I tend to roll my eyes and become ...

If you go to “Hospital Compare,” a site maintained by the US Department of Health and Human Services summarizing the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores, you can find out how quiet the hospitals in your area are, among other things. Patients who report the area around their room is “always” quiet at ...

A large patient arrives at the laboratory after hours to have blood drawn. She slowly follows the only tech on duty down a short hallway and around a corner to a phlebotomy area. The tech hesitates as the patient studies a narrow drawing chair. She turns and wedges herself in the chair with some effort. The tech struggles with the tourniquet, ...

National Donate Life Month came to a close last week with 107,267 people left on the waiting list for life-saving organ transplants. Few respiratory therapists work directly for transplant programs; however, their patients may include those awaiting transplants or those who are in a critical care or trauma unit and could likely end up on a donor ...